Bite!

[Valcryss]

Last week I when was feeding my baby Carlotta SHE GOT BIT! Oh no! She only eats live mice (believe me, I tried so hard to feed her dead mice that I was afraid of starving her!), and I put her in a tupperware when she eats. She struck at it and killed it, but when she let go it seemed to be stuck on her. Looking closely after she shook it off and ate it, it seemed that when she was coiling it, it bit down on the soft strechy skin of her neck. It never bled, but it's very painful-looking. It's like it just pulled a flap of her skin off, and you can see her pink meat under it!

I let her live in the tupperware without sand in the bottom for several days. I've been putting Neosporin on it, and she's just started to live back in the main cage with her friend Julio and sand on the bottom. The wound seems to have dried out and doesn't look infected, so I'm guessing there is nothing more to worry about.

My question is, though, is something like NuSkin or Liquid Bandage an option when this happens? And also, I'm afraid of feeding her again, as I think the wound will stretch and reopen when she swallows.

[Shelby]

I would probably take her to a reptile vet to have them look at it.

So am I understanding you right.. you're keeping two BPs in the same cage with a sand substrate? Both are bad ideas. Ball pythons are not social, and are in fact stressed out when made to live together. There are many threads on the subject in this forum, you may do well to do a search.

Second.. sand is a terrible substrate. If ingested, it can become impacted in their gut, plus that it holds no humidity. Plain old newspaper is a better choice.. if not then aspen shavings or cypress mulch to name a few other options.

For the health and wellbeing of your snakes, please separate them into their own enclosures. If you still choose to feed live, consider feeding the snake in it's normal enclosure. This allows the snake to stalk it's prey more effectively, therefore reducing the chances of a bite.

I hope my advice is helpful.

[Valcryss]

Well, it's not exactly sand. It's called "ESU Reptile Desert Blend Lizard Litter," and it's made of crushed walnut shell. It non-abrasive and digestion-safe. Also, because it is a plant material, it holds enough humidity to compliment my already-plenty-humid regional air. I've learned my lesson with real sand in the past. I should have been more specific... it's just habit to call it "sand."

And now I am looking around for the separate housing threads... I'd have never thought of separating them on account of them being seemingly totally in love with each other. It's like they seek each other out when they are apart...

[Kizerk]

poor thing, i hope she gets better

does she seem to flinch when you the neopsorin on her?

[JLC]

And now I am looking around for the separate housing threads... I'd have never thought of separating them on account of them being seemingly totally in love with each other. It's like they seek each other out when they are apart...

That's just what it looks like to us emotional, social humans. In reality, they are competing for the favored spots in the cage. Even if they don't both want the same spot, the dominant snake may follow the the other around just to keep showing him "who's boss."

In the wild, the snake being dominated would have had the opportunity to move out and find his own territory, but in captivity, they don't have that option and end up being forced to "snuggle" with the other snake.

[stangs13]

Well, it's not exactly sand. It's called "ESU Reptile Desert Blend Lizard Litter," and it's made of crushed walnut shell. It non-abrasive and digestion-safe. Also, because it is a plant material, it holds enough humidity to compliment my already-plenty-humid regional air. I've learned my lesson with real sand in the past. I should have been more specific... it's just habit to call it "sand."...

Chunck that stuff. It is trouble. Try Newspaper or paper towels.

And now I am looking around for the separate housing threads... I'd have never thought of separating them on account of them being seemingly totally in love with each other. It's like they seek each other out when they are apart...

Seprate them NOW! You are just asking for trouble. you could have 2 snakes that are too young to breed or one that is and if the male tries to breed the female could get in some serious danger.

[lillyorchid]

Snakes are NOT social creatures, so they do not need a friend. Actually that "friend" will become their enemy and they will just compete with each other for every thing that you have in that tank. In the end, both of your snakes are going to be very stressed out! Worse some to worse, one may even try to kill "the weaker one".